Transcending Time
by The Legend of Rune Factory
Summary: Zelda, on accident, discovered the Spiritual Stones and the Master Sword in the depths of Hyrule Castle. After showing Link and recounting the infamous legend surrounding them, she decides it would be best to hide the Stones from evil and build a temple for the Sword. But certain memories are triggered; memories of an age long gone... ST/OoT
1. Objects

**So... This is what happens when I listen to the Spirit Tracks soundtrack and I just came from playing Ocarina of Time... I guess I kinda tried to to with this what I did with one of my other fics, _The Earthmate Legacy_, but seeing how each Zelda game kinda takes care of that anyway, this is instead part of my timeline theory. Truly, I think that in the split were Hyrule was flooded and everything, it's just one big cycle. Hence why this is technically a Spirit Tracks/Ocarina of Time crossover thing. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

Link found himself being dragged through the underground corridors of the castle he knew now by heart. "Zelda," he whispered in the darkness, "we've been down here a million times. What's so important?"

"I told you: I found something. Something I think you should see." She held up the torch to light another in the room they found themselves in.

To his knowledge, this room was where the cluttered storage areas ended. "I don't see anything."

"Hold on a minute!" She ran her hand over the wall, tapping her nails along the stone before finally pushing against a section. It slid back easily and soon a secret door swung open. The Princess smiled at his surprised expression. "You see?"

"What is this?"

"You'll see." She led him inside, where she placed the torch against a groove in the wall. The flame traveled the groove, lighting the room around them brightly.

He stepped toward the middle of the strange new place. A glass case holding three stones—a ruby, sapphire, and en emerald, maybe?—lay to his right. He turned to the left to see Zelda taking a blue instrument of sorts from another case. "Zelda… What is all this stuff?"

She shook her head. "I'm not entirely sure. I was looking for an old book of mine I put down here for safekeeping when I tripped and happened to press that stone." She held up the object in her hand. "Link, I think… I think this may be the Ocarina of Time."

"The Oca—what?" He reached out to take it from her.

"Don't tell me you've never heard the story!" She refused to give it to him. "Come on, everyone knows at least a snippet of the old legend…"

"Well, I don't, apparently."

She sighed and sat down on the stone ground. "Come on, this might take a while…" She waited until he was seated before her to continue. "All right, as you know, this is technically 'new' Hyrule. But it hasn't been called that for over seventy-five years now, so people sort of forgot. It's been a little over a hundred years since my grandmother founded this country, but Link, do you know why they did?"

He shrugged.

"Because one hundred years before _that_, the world was flooded. Old Hyrule flooded because it was invaded by evil and the three goddesses wanted to protect the Hylians, but in order to do so, they had to first wipe out the evil."

Link stopped her. "You told me that Old Hyrule was at the bottom of the ocean. That's what Tetra's journals said, right?"

"Right. Because the goddesses drowned it. The only reason why it wasn't protected in the first place was because the princess, apparently also named Zelda—"

"I think it's a family name."

She stared at him for a single moment before continuing. "Anyway, she had sent the hero on a quest to save Hyrule, which he did, but when she sent him back in time to relive the childhood she took from him, he left. And when you rewind time, it tends to repeat itself."

"So because he wasn't there, Hyrule was invaded."

"Yep. The one flaw in her plan." Zelda stood up, gesturing to the stones. "Link, she sent him to get these stones, the Spiritual Stones, so she could prove to her father that the new delegate was an evil, terrible man. When he murdered the king, she grabbed this ocarina and managed to throw it to him as she fled the castle with her nanny. She left instructions for him to go into the Temple of Time, and open the Door of Time."

"Spiritual Stones, huh?" He picked up the emerald and turned it over in his hand. The gold glinted in the torchlight.

She nodded. "But when he opened the Door of Time, he found… Well, he found_ that_, Link." She pointed to a pedestal at the far end of the room.

He walked over to it, mesmerized by the sheer majesty of the blade. It shone with a sort of magical energy that emanated from an unknown source. The purple hilt seemed to be calling him to take it. "It's… The Master Sword."

She nodded gravely. "The Blade of Evil's Bane. When the hero took it, he opened the door to the Sacred Realm, allowing the evil to penetrate it and transform Hyrule into a hellish nightmare. When he finally awoke as the Hero of Time, he had to gather five medallions from the Sages. Once that was done, he scaled the highest tower in the castle, killed the evil responsible, and saved the princess. She then sent him back in time, and… Well, you know the rest."

He looked at her intensely. "Zelda, who was the great evil? Who caused the downfall of Hyrule?" He felt himself dreading the answer for some inexplicable reason.

"Ganondorf."

A shiver ran down his spine and he unconsciously clutched the Master Sword's hilt. It faintly hummed with an age-old energy. Zelda took no notice. "I found a song written behind the Spiritual Stones on the wall. Listen." She put the ocarina to her lips and started to play.

The notes drifted hauntingly throughout the small space, filling them both with a longing they did not understand. Link closed his eyes, engulfed in the magic. In the deep recesses of his mind, he saw rolling hills and a deep lake, a craggy mountain encircled by clouds and finally a majestic castle with white stone walls. He could see a blonde princess squeal with happiness as he agreed to help her, but he also saw the horror on her face as she fled her home. He saw later the look of amazement on a red-haired woman as he leapt over a ranch wall, taking a horse with him he knew somehow to be named Epona.

Link knew his mind was stirring with the faded, checkered memories of a past life long and forever gone. As the song ended, he shivered again. "Zelda… What was that song?"

"The Song of Time, I think." She looked down at the ocarina. "What are we going to do about this stuff? Now that I know it's here, I feel like I can't just let it sit…"

"I don't think we have a choice. We don't want history to repeat itself, do we?"

"No, but… I know!" She grabbed the Stones after giving Link the ocarina. "We can put the emerald in the Forest tree-temple thingy, and we give the ruby to the Gorons to do something with, and we put the sapphire in the giant fish underwater! That way, nobody will either find them or steal them."

"And the Ocarina? And the sword?"

"We'll keep the Ocarina here, with me. It's a Royal Family heirloom anyway. As for the sword…" She looked at it warily. "I'll commission for a Temple to be built. We'll have our very own Temple of Time, Link, only it'll just be for keeping the Master Sword safe."

He smiled slightly. "You think that'll be safe?"

"Of course! It'll be fine, Link. Trust me." She jerked her head toward the glass case. "Put the Ocarina back so we can get these Stones where they belong."

He placed it on the red velvet cushion and slid the top on. As they walked through the door, it slid shut behind them. "Zelda, how did this stuff even get down here?"

"Not sure. Maybe Niko knows." She led him back through the storage to the main hallways.

Link thought again of the memories he apparently had that were from at least two hundred years ago. He, or at least he in a past life, saved Hyrule…just for it to be destroyed. "Zelda!" He called suddenly, feeling that perhaps their plan would only make things worse.

"Hm?" She turned to him, her blue eyes shining as brightly as the sapphire she held.

"N… Never mind."

She shrugged and kept walking. He followed slowly, wishing he held the Master Sword. Somehow it made him feel better, especially now that he couldn't quite get the name of Ganondorf from his head. He felt as if he could feel the cold gaze of an invisible man, this "Ganondorf", on him as he walked through the castle of New Hyrule. "Zelda."

She stopped and whirled around. "What is it, Link? And you'd better have an answer this time!"

"When you played that song, the Song of Time… Did you…see anything?"

"See anything? Like what? You standing in front of me? Then yes, I _definitely_ saw something."

He blonde Hylian shook his head. "No, Zelda, I meant… Did you see a memory? Only it wasn't your memory; it was someone else's memory."

She suddenly grew very quiet. With a slow nod, she looked up at him. "I did. I saw myself, only… It wasn't me. But I saw me, her, _whoever_ it was in this great big expanse of clouds or something with…you."

"With me?"

"Yes! She was playing the Ocarina… But anyway, we have to get going. I want to at least get to the Lost Woods by nightfall. Now that we've wasted enough time talking about strange daydreams… Let's go."

Link could tell she was frightened, perhaps, of the memory that didn't belong to her. He didn't blame her. It was very discomfiting to see something that apparently you experienced centuries ago. He wanted to ask her one last question before he would change the subject, hopefully forever, from their ancient selves. "Do you think Ganondorf will return?"

She nearly dropped a Spiritual Stone. "Link! What kind of question is that?"

"Answer it, Zelda; I know you know the answer." He gripped her upper arm tightly. "Answer it."

She bit her lip before taking a deep breath. "Yes, Link. He'll be back. Was it not just one hundred years ago that he made an attempt on my grandparents' lives? They didn't kill him; they encased him in stone at the bottom of the ocean. He may not come back for ten years, or fifty, or a hundred, or even a hundred thousand; but he'll be back." She held up the ruby. "And I feel that by hiding these stones we can stave him off for longer."

"Even though it was these exact stones he wanted in order to take over Hyrule?"

"Yes. He won't be expecting that we would do the same thing. Link, please… Believe me. You do believe me, don't you?"

A nagging image crept into his head. For a split second he saw a young girl, no older than ten, pleading him the same question. "You believe me, right?" She begged, looking at him with such large blue eyes that he felt himself giving in.

And in the present, he nodded. "Yes, Zelda. I believe you."

"Great!"

Link watched her skip ahead, humming the Song of Time to herself softly. He wished again for the Master Sword in his hand, because for once he didn't feel safe at all. Though he knew he could protect himself, and his princess, he wanted the extra assurance. He wanted to hear the eerily familiar _shink_ as it slid from a sheath, the very sound he could hear if he thought hard enough. _Some things transcend even time…_ He began to follow, his long strides making it easy to catch up with her. _But where He is involved… Is what we're doing enough?_

* * *

**I thought ending it on that rather creepy note was a good choice. ^^ So... Did anyone else's spine get a little tingly feeling when Zelda answered him, "Ganondorf." Ooh, his name... Scary... **

**Anyway, reviews are appreciated!**

**-LoRF**


	2. Horses

**This was originally supposed to be a one-shot. Go figure. But anyway, I guess I'll just continue this Spirit Tracks/Ocarina of Time crossover thingy fic until I feel like stopping. Seems like a plan.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing!**

* * *

He watched her ease down to her bedroll by the fire. "Harder going to the dungeons when you're alive, isn't it?"

She groaned as she stretched, her muscles protesting against even the tiniest of movements. "Shut up, Link…"

He merely chuckled. "Well, one Spiritual Stone stored away; two to go."

"We would've gotten to at least the Gorons if you hadn't kept asking questions…"

He decided to ignore her comment and change the subject. "I still can't believe you even got permission to do this."

Zelda rolled onto her stomach. "Permission, sure…"

"You mean to tell me you didn't even tell anyone you were leaving?"

"Eh… They'll live."

"Zel, I know it's been a few years—"

"Five, actually."

"—since the incident, but you have to get it into your head that they're going to freak out every time you go missing!"

She snorted through her nose, raising an eyebrow. "Hmph. They'll be fine. Discussion over."

The two Hylians laid in silence, staring at the stars above them. Link began to hum a tune softly. As he did so, he felt a strange sense of familiarity. He suddenly longed for the rush of wind in his hair, the kind that a train can't give. He wanted to hear the steady beat of hooves beneath him, and the feeling of being the only one in the whole world as he rode across the rolling hills and fields of his beloved Hyrule.

"Zelda…" He whispered tersely. "Zelda, are you awake?"

"I am now." She rolled over to look at him. "What is it?"

He took a deep breath. "Do you think, maybe… We could get horses?"

"Horses?"

"Yeah! Horses, for traveling…"

She glanced at the Spirit Train. "Isn't that was trains are for? Isn't that part of the reason we risked our _lives_ five years ago?"

"W-well… Trains can only go where the tracks lead them and only go one way. Horses can go almost anywhere and they have more mobility. Besides, the more people there are in Hyrule, the more trains we'll need… Horses are cheaper."

She nodded tiredly. "I'll put it to some serious consideration."

"Epona…"

"Hm?"

He smiled. "That's what I'll name my horse: Epona."

"That's pretty, I guess…"

The Hero of the Spirits continued to gaze at the stars as he thought about someday owning a grand horse, his Epona, and galloping all over Hyrule without a care in the world. "Zelda, I— Oh." He saw that she was fast asleep.

Her blonde hair cascaded loosely over her shoulder and her arm, which currently served as her pillow. He reached down to brush some stray hair from her face. She stirred slightly, a small moan slipping between her lips. In his mind he knew watching the Princess sleep was a bad idea; yet he couldn't help himself. There was just something about the whole situation that made him keep his gaze stuck to the young woman.

Link looked up at the stars again, the never-changing heavens, and sighed. He felt…happy to be in the middle of nowhere with the Princess. It was a joy to watch over her, knowing that, though she insisted she could take care of herself, he knew she couldn't. But he let her believe and remained her hero, just like always.

* * *

_"So this is where you got her, hm?" The Princess looked around daintily. "Very nice."_

_ The Hero of Time nodded furiously, taking her hand in his own. "Come on, you've got to meet Malon!"_

_ "Malon…?" She allowed herself to be dragged toward the large corral. _

_ The two of them walked up to a young woman with fiery hair. She waved once she saw them. "Hi Link!" She greeted, smiling. "And… Oh! Your Highness!" She quickly curtsied in respect. _

_ Zelda laughed lightly. "Please, you're fine. We came today for, well…a horse."_

_ "Then you've come to the right spot." Malon gestured behind her. "Here at Lon Lon Ranch, we've got all the milk, Cuccoos, and horses your heart can desire!"_

_ "Indeed you do…" She cleared her throat. "All we need is a horse today."_

_ Malon led them to the corral gate. "For loan or for keeps?"_

_ "I'm hoping to purchase one…" The Princess looked interestingly at the horses. _

_ "Then take your pick." She opened the door and ushered the two others inside. "Or maybe the horse will pick you like Epona did with Link."_

_ Zelda walked through the corral, picking her steps carefully as she observed the animals. "I'm afraid I don't have much experience in this!" She called to Malon. _

_ "That's all right. You'll know which one you want when you see it."_

_ Suddenly Zelda felt a warm breath on her neck. She stiffened, a cry of surprise caught in her throat. Only when her assailant began to nibble on her pointed ear did she whirl around. "Stop that!" She ordered roughly, shocked to find herself staring into two large brown eyes. _

_ Link ran over to her. "What's going on?"_

_ "This horse decided he wanted to make a meal of me…" She wiped the horse saliva from her ear with a grimace. _

_ "That just means he likes you."_

_ "Does, huh?" She tentatively pressed her hand to the horse's nose. He leaned into her touch. "This one then. I choose this one."_

_ Link looked over the brilliant white horse. "What's his name?"_

_ She smiled slightly. "Nohansen."_

* * *

Zelda leaned against the side of the cab of the train, watching him. "Link, I was thinking about your request…"

He looked up to wipe some beads of sweat from his brow. Stoking fires in the Fire Realm was never a cool thing. He noted that the Princess looked at least comfortable in her white tunic and leggings. "About the horses?"

"Yes. I think horses would be a marvelous idea. As soon as we finish this little quest, I'll commission a temple to be built and horses to be sent after. Of course, we'll need a ranch to keep them in… And a rancher."

He nodded thoughtfully. "Having someone new in Hyrule would be interesting."

She looked around absently, as if preoccupied. He noticed now her hand was clenched protectively around the pouch slung across her shoulders, which held the last Spiritual Stone. "Did you have another memory?"

She winced visibly before looking at him. "I was with you and another woman; Malon, I think her name was. I was picking out a horse of my own." She smiled somewhat bitterly. "Named him Nohansen."

"That's definitely an interesting name." Link put the train into high gear. "We should be at the Ocean Realm eventually. Before twilight, I'd say."

"That's good. The sooner all of these old artifacts are put away the better. They're beginning to affect my mind."

"I know what you mean… I don't like remembering things I've never done." He looked out ahead. "Sometimes I feel like I'm dreaming, like I'm going to wake up and be in that time in the past."

"You're not the Hero of Time. Not in this generation, anyway. Just keep telling yourself that. You're the Hero of the Spirits. The Hero of Time is long dead. And so is the Princess of Destiny." She touched his arm lightly with her right hand, the faded mark of the Triforce visible on her pale skin. "We may be their descendants, but we're not them."

He glanced at her hand. "I know." Link closed his eyes with a quick sigh. "I know…"

"Good. Now drive on, Link; I'm tired of Death Mountain."

"If we had horses it'd be faster…"

"You'll get your horses eventually! Just drive!" Zelda crossed her arms and turned away from him.

He smiled as he pulled the whistle rope. "As you wish, Princess."

* * *

**Five points to whoever can guess either the song Link was humming or the other Zelda game I made a reference to! (That isn't Ocarina of Time, obviously...)**

**Reviews are appreciated! Especially since it's been forever since I've been in the LoZ archive and I'm not sure how I'm doing...**

**-LoRF**


	3. Fights

**So, if you guess the song from last chapter as Epona's Song, then you were right! As for the game I referenced, it was from Wind Waker, with King Daphne NOHANSEN Hyrule. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

The sapphire began to spin in place as Zelda lowered it into the altar. "There. All three Spiritual Stones hidden and guarded." In her mind, she added, _Finally…_

Link patted her shoulder. "See? That wasn't so bad!"

She stared at him blankly, one blonde eyebrow risen. "I was bitten by a Keese."

"Nothing a little potion won't fix."

"I nearly broke my leg when you missed a jump with your whip and we fell."

"It would've healed."

"I almost lost an arm when a Blastworm exploded near me!"

Here Link faltered. "W-well…" He waved absently as if dismissing the idea. "Either way, it's all over now and we can go home."

"I'll say…" She turned to him, a tiny smile on her face. "They'll be surprised when I show back up suddenly. Of course they'll want to know where I was and what I did."

"Are you going to tell them?"

Zelda stopped as she was about to step into the blue portal. "Of course…not."

"They're going to find out eventually, especially when you send for horses and a Temple."

She shook her head, stepping into the portal with Link. They were transported back to the station where the Spirit Train awaited them. He gestured toward the cab. "Lady first."

"My hero." She smirked as she said it, but they both knew she meant it in more ways than one. She hopped into the cab swiftly.

He followed suit and put the engine in gear. As soon as they made it outside and up on the surface of the Ocean Realm, they were shocked to see that night had fallen. Zelda looked around in confusion. "But… On the top of the temple…"

Link shook his head. "The temple was under water. Being outside… It was all an illusion. We must've been in there for a really long time."

"That makes sense I suppose. We'd better find someplace to stay for the night then."

Without much light, for the sun had long sunk and the moon was only about a quarter full, he steered them to the first large landmass he saw with a proper station. When they stopped, he smiled at her dim shape. "Here. I think we're pretty close to the Tower of Spirits too, so it'll be easier getting to Castle Town."

"Thanks Link. Well, we should probably get some rest."

"No fire tonight?"

She had already gotten their sleeping bags and was setting them out. "Nope. Come on; I'm tired."

"You don't need me to—Oh." He understood then why the bags were very near each other. Stripping his weapons from his person, he slithered into the bag. Zelda soon found her place in his arms.

"Fires take too long to make," She yawned, "and I want to go to sleep quickly."

He merely watched as she dozed off in his embrace, her hair tickling his chin. Link realized how small she seemed in his arms. How fragile, and quite honestly, how princess-like. Though the last few days had been spent adventuring, she still managed to look clean and womanly, and… _Goddesses, she's just beautiful…_

Link felt himself drift off beside her, feeding off her warmth as much as she was off his. In his dreams visions of her danced around and around.

* * *

He awoke roughly to the feeling of the Princess being ripped from his arms. "Huh?"

"Link!" She screamed.

He bolted upright, and in the semi-darkness, he made out a group of Miniblins. "We're at the Pirate Hideout!"

"Just get this filthy monster off me!"

Link grabbed the Lokomo Sword and began hacking away at the monsters, freeing Zelda in the process. She wielded a small dagger and dove to join in the fray. No matter how many Miniblins they killed, two more seemed to take their place. "To the train!" He shouted.

The two Hylians fought their way back to the Spirit Train, scrambling into the cab. Link hurriedly started the train toward The Tower as he heard Zelda slump to the floor with a moan. "Zelda? Are you all right?"

She whimpered faintly in response. "I… I can't…"

He glanced at her sideways. "Don't move. Do _not _move until I can help you."

The train sped along on the dark tracks, rushing toward the gate. Link breathed an audible sigh of relief when he finally entered the building. He killed the engine and knelt next to Zelda. Fortunately The Tower was lit, so he could see clearly the blood glistening on her once-pristine white tunic and leggings. She groaned softly as she tried to get up. Link pinned her shoulder against the side of the cab. "Don't… Don't move."

She pulled her hand away from the wound in her side. Scarlet blood stained her pale skin, contrasting starkly. She closed her eyes weakly. "I'm sorry, Link… I should've been paying attention."

He stopped cutting apart his bedroll and looked at her incredulously. "What?"

"I should've…" She shifted her weight, wincing. "I should've paid more attention to what was going on. I didn't mean to make you worry about me…"

He knelt next to her once more. "It's not your fault. I should've known that that was the Pirate Hideout." He began bandaging her side, hoping to stop the yet small trickle of blood.

Zelda whimpered faintly as he worked, though she tried to be brave for him. There wasn't any denying it; her wound hurt, and like it or not, she couldn't help but express it. The only solace for her in the whole situation was that Link's hands were warm and gentle as he worked.

* * *

_"I can't believe this happened…"_

_ She shook her head, reaching to touch his arm. "It… It's not your—" she gasped in sudden pain, "—fault…"_

_ "You were nearly _killed_ and it's not my fault? Zelda, Princess, my only job is to protect you and I failed that!"_

_ "We didn't see the Moblins coming…" _

_ He sighed heavily, curling his hand around the arrow that protruded from her shoulder. "I'm sorry."_

_ She tightened her grip on his other hand as he pulled swiftly. The Princess gasped, unable to even summon the strength to cry out. She lay limply on the ground as her consciousness ebbed away._

* * *

Zelda stood with her head architect as they studied a map of Castle Town. "I think over there would be good…"

"Princess, if I may, perhaps this area would be best for the project?"

She looked at the place he gestured to. "Hmm…" Glancing around to judge the spot, she was hit with a better idea. "I want this wall knocked out and the Temple built here. The wall can be rebuilt around it."

"Yes Your Highness." He backed out of the room quickly.

Almost as soon as he left Link rushed in. "Princess!"

She whirled around, wincing at the still-healing wound in her side. "Link, what are you doing here?"

"I came to see how you were doing."

"Very well, thanks."

He smiled slightly as she turned around to keep looking at the map. "Send out for horses yet?"

"Yes. I got a reply from someone named Talonne. Apparently he and his daughter, Malona, are on their way from some island named Koholint to come start up a ranch. They're supplying the horses and the cows."

"And the cuccos?"

She turned to him with a grin. "They're going to the ranch, too. Your crazed cucco friend here in Castle Town… Ingot, I think his name is? Yes. He's going to join them on their ranch with his feathery friends." She noticed the glint in his eye. "So they'll be well protected from you whipping them to death! Unless you'd like to be attacked by a mob of cuccos…again."

"No! No, that's all right…"

Zelda sighed as she moved past him as if to leave the room. "After the Temple of Time is built and the Master Sword sealed up, hopefully the memories will stop. I had another one when I was, well…"

"I haven't had one in a while."

"Lucky you." She laughed softly. "Well, if you'd excuse me, I'm late for a meeting. Some people are concerned with all the wild rabbits running around."

Link watched her leave before looking at the map. He could see a large red X where she marked the future site of the Temple of Time. The thought made him a bit sad, and he felt himself wish for a single moment that they didn't have to seal up the Master Sword. He had come to like the memories. Obviously they still bother her, but… He wanted the memories. With a shrug, he walked out of the room.

Maybe he could help with the bunny issue.

* * *

**Can you tell I'm a Zelink person yet? Anyway, New Hyrule is beginning to resemble Old Hyrule more and more now... I wish I could tell you what plans I have for this story, but I honestly don't know.**

**-LoRF**


	4. Ranch

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.  
**

**~:o:~**

Link stood at the Papuchia Village docks, waiting for the ship carrying Talonne, Malona, and their animals to come to port. He sighed as he sat down on a crate. _Boats are so slow… _He whined in his head. _Wouldn't be so bad if I had someone to talk to, like Zelda…_

He leaned back against another crate and began to think on the Princess. Since their escapade to hide the Stones, security had been temporarily heightened around her. The only way she was allowed to leave was if she was with him, even though he took her out on the adventure in the first place. He never quite understood the reasoning for that rule, but he accepted it nonetheless and tried to concentrate on making sure she didn't get herself killed.

The sight of her blood in the Tower brought a wince to his face as he remembered it. Though they were able to patch it up using the Song of Healing on a pan-pipe—since Zelda had long since taken back her Spirit Flute—the wound still didn't heal completely. It was, of course, gone by now, but at the time he seriously thought she may die. He attributed the ridiculous notion to nerves and panic. He also began to understand why Teacher nearly had a heart attack when they got back to the Castle.

A sound like that from a horn shook him from his thoughts. He stood up and saw a great ship coming into the harbor. Upon closer inspection he saw a young woman with fiery red hair standing on the very edge of the bow. _That must be Malona._ Zelda had said that when Talonne sent her a description of them, his daughter was described as "tall, thin yet muscular from working, and has hair the color of fire".

He waited until the ship was fully docked to go see if it was really them. Finding a tall, round man, he walked up to him and introduced himself. "I'm Link, from Hyrule Castle. You're Talonne, right?"

The man nodded and shook his hand eagerly. "That's right! I'm Talonne and this is my daughter, Malona." He gestured to the woman trying to lead a horse down the ramp. She waved to them at the mention of her name.

Link smiled slightly. "Good. We can just load the animals on my train and I'll take you to the ranch. I'll help." He hurried over to where Malona was struggling with a chestnut-brown mare.

She managed to calm the horse with his help. "Wow, I've never seen her take so kindly to someone before." She watched him stroke the animal's muzzle as they walked her to the train car. "You must be some kind of horse-whisperer!"

He chuckled softly. "Actually I've never seen a horse before. I've only read about them sometimes. I guess this one just likes me." He led her into the car before walking back out for more animals after shutting the huge cargo doors behind him. "What's her name?"

The farm-girl shrugged. "Don't know. I haven't really thought up a name yet that I think fits her."

"Oh." He laughed as he saw Talonne attempting to single-handedly drag two Lon cows towards the train. "Let's help your dad…"

The three of them, along with the help of several sailors, made quick work of loading up all the animals into the car. In order to make room for the extra cargo car, the passenger car had had to be temporarily removed. To compensate, Link invited them to stay up with him at the engine. Talonne politely declined, insisting that he stay with his animals. Malona, however, jumped at the opportunity.

Soon enough they were chugging into the Forest Realm. Malona gaped at how green the landscape was. "Link, with all these plains, it'll be perfect for a ranch! There wasn't nearly this much room for us on Koholint…"

"Luckily for you Princess Zelda has already had a giant ranch built. We should be seeing it soon right over this next hill." Link flashed a smile to her. "In fact, she should be meeting us there with Ingot."

"Who's he?"

"One of my friends. He loves cuccos, so he volunteered to help you guys out and supply the cuccos for your ranch. He's always wanted to do something like this. It's better for him anyway. He used to have to work out of Castle Town."

She tilted her head in confusion at him. "What's Castle Town?"

"Hyrule Castle is there. You'll probably visit once or twice soon." Link reached up to pull the whistle to scare a pig off the tracks. "We'll be there soon."

The train chugged along on the tracks, the sunlight glinting off the polished metal rims and brass trim. Malona stuck her head over the side of the cab into the wind. Her long, flaming hair whipped behind her and she looked out over the hills of her new home. A large structure began to peek over the next hill. "Link, is that it?" She pointed excitedly.

He nodded. "Yep. That's Lon Lon Ranch." He flipped the train tracks and turned toward it, pulling into the train station with a hiss.

As he left the cab, he noticed Zelda and Ingot standing in wait for them. Zelda walked over to greet her new citizens. Looking at Malona, she smiled. "Welcome to Hyrule."

Malona, not quite sure what to do, curtsied awkwardly. "A-afternoon…Princess!"

Zelda giggled before tapping the other girl's shoulder. "Malona, please… You don't have to do that. Well, let me introduce myself. I am Princess Zelda of Hyrule. The man behind me is Ingot, who has agreed to be hired as a ranch hand in exchange for a place to house his cuccos." She turned to gesture to the area behind her. "And this is your new home."

Link looked back to the train. "We should get the animals unloaded first."

Talonne had already opened the car and was currently pulling a Lon cow out. He tipped his head at the Princess before continuing on to the barn. Malona and Link went to get the troublesome horse, leaving the rest of the horses and cows to Ingot and Zelda. The princess looked to the man. "Well. We'd best get started."

**~:o:~**

"Dinner's ready!" Malona placed a large basket of food on a blanket by the corral and watched with amusement as everyone rushed to her.

Zelda sat cross-legged next to the farm girl and took a sandwich thankfully. "This has been an interesting day." She bit into her food thoughtfully. "Never worked on a farm before. Very different from the castle."

"Speaking of which, why _are_ you here, exactly? With the new temple being built I figured you'd be busy there." Link tore into his own dinner.

"They're just getting started with the demolition process of the far corner. After that, then they can start construction on the temple."

As they sat, a loud crash suddenly boomed over the ranch. Malona jumped up and rushed to the corral. "Hey!" One of the horses was rushing around in a panicked state.

"Malona!" Link scrambled to help her. If she wasn't careful, she was liable to get a hoof to the face.

The horse was the brown mare from earlier. She rushed around the corral, ramming fences and other horses, even nearly destroying the small shed with food and water. Malona tried to get her to calm down, but to no avail. She jumped back as the horse charged the other side of the enclosure again.

"What's going on!?" Link demanded, reaching her.

"She must not like it here…" Malona grit her teeth. "Sometimes when they're introduced to a new home, animals can go a little crazy until they get comfortable."

Without thinking, Link drew his panpipe from his pouch and put it to his lips. Drawing a breath, he began to play a haunting melody; the same melody he had hummed only a few weeks ago as he and Zelda slept around the fire after putting the Emerald Spirit Stone in the Forest Temple. The notes drifted all through the ranch, bringing with it a sense of peace.

Once the song was ended, he put the instrument away and looked to Malona. She seemed mesmerized by the song. But what was most peculiar was that the mare had stopped thrashing. She approached Link and stared at him.

He reached out to gently touch her nose. "Epona."

**~:o:~**

**Reviews are appreciated.  
**


	5. Gerudo

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

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The demolition to the far corner of Castle Town took place without a hitch, and in its place the beginnings of a grand Temple Of Time were under way. Princess Zelda could look out her chamber windows and watch them. Even when she didn't want to see it, she could definitely hear all the banging and sawing going on. It tended to get in the way of her work at times.

Sitting in the cool throne room, however, her ears were spared the ruckus of construction. She tapped the armrest softly, her cheek resting in her other hand. "Hm…" Her eyes darted to the side where she could just barely see Link standing there. He seemed just as bored as she.

Zelda straightened and cleared her throat. "Link, do you have anything to report?"

"Princess!" He jumped to attention, bringing his hand up in a salute before snapping it back to his side. "Nothing of importance has occurred in the five minutes since you last requested."

"Nothing at all?" One blonde eyebrow rose. "Not the tiniest thing?"

"I… I itched my nose earlier…"

"That's nice." She sighed. "What a boring afternoon…"

At that moment, the doors to the room burst open and a guard walked in. Following him was a group of dark-skinned, scantily clad women. Gleaming scimitars flashed at their sides. At the head of their troop was a single man dressed in black, his fire-like hair tied back at the base of his neck. Zelda stood up in surprise. "Guard, who are these people?"

The guard began to explain when the other man interrupted him. "Your Highness, I am the leader my tribe, the Gerudo."

Both Link and the princess glanced at one another. He placed his hand on his sword as Zelda slowly sat down. "Indeed." Her eyes narrowed. "What is your name?"

"Ganzorig."

Link's sword slide back into the sheath. He did not, however, remove his hand from the pommel.

The princess relaxed as she smiled. "Welcome, Ganzorig and company. What brings you to Hyrule?"

"Your Grace, we have been traveling for quite some time in search of a place to call home. We are a desert-dwelling people, peaceful, but well trained. We heard that your land was prosperous so we decided to come here. If you have any spare room, might we make use of it? I promise that though we appear intimidating, we mean no ill will and would be more than happy to stand by you in times of crisis." Ganzorig bowed deeply, his robes touching the marble floor.

Zelda eyed him critically. "What happened to your original home?"

"It was destroyed by war. I managed to escape with the remainder of my tribe—the women you see here." He gestured to the group of at least a dozen girls behind him.

"Only the women? No men or children?"

"A man is born into the Gerudo every one hundred years. The rest are all women."

"What a strange system." She turned to look at Link, who nodded. Her gaze flitted back to Ganzorig. "Allow me to talk over your proposition before making a final decision. In the meantime, make yourselves comfortable here. If you require food or drink, simply ask one of the servants and they will be more than happy to oblige." She stood and made her way to the doorway on the left. "Come with me, Link."

The two of them walked back into the round room, soon joined by Teacher and the captain of the guard, Russell. Zelda looked them all over before finally landing on Link. "You know what this means."

He nodded. "It would only increase the chances of Ganondorf finding us sooner."

Teacher eyed the two. "What are you talking about? Who is Ganondorf?" He adjusted his spectacles.

"Ganondorf is the leader of the Gerudo tribe. Or at least, he was. He's the reason we are here." Zelda began to pace the floor from Russell to Link. "Many years ago, when he first caused Old Hyrule to flood and the islands to appear. He antagonized my grandparents." She stopped to stare at Russell. "From your perspective, can they be trusted?"

The guard captain reached to stroke the beard encasing his chin. "I believe so. Ganzorig seems to be in earnest for his people. Though the women are, admittedly, frightening."

"That's exactly how I feel as well." She turned to the older man. "Teacher?"

He shrugged. "Those weapons make me a bit worried, but I sense Ganzorig is trustworthy."

Link placed his hand on the princess's shoulder, causing her to whirl around. "Zelda, you know just as well as I do that Ganondorf will return. You said yourself that we don't know when, but he _will_ come back."

She allowed her gaze to fall downward. "I understand that. Yet, I feel that we cannot simply put these people out because of a prophecy that may or may not come true. Who are we to say that in the next century Ganzorig will perish and give rise to the King of Evil? Who's to say that Ganondorf will even return?"

"He won't rest until he has all three pieces of the Triforce, Zelda. Not even death can conquer him. Your grandparents had proof of that."

She took a deep breath and looked up at him. "Link… Five years ago, when I asked you what you were going to do once everything was all over, you told me you wanted to become a knight of Hyrule. In doing so you became my personal guard." She reached for his hand, casting her gaze away again. "Will you trust me, then? Trust me…and protect me if something goes wrong."

He nodded. "You know the answer to that. I just want you to know that if you let the Gerudo stay, you could be condemning your people to death in the eras to come."

"I understand that." Zelda released his hand and turned on her heel to look at Russell and Teacher. "They may stay in the Desert Realm. If you have any objections, I don't care to hear them." She walked from them to push open the door to the throne room.

Ganzorig and his women were standing around and talking amongst themselves. They silenced as the princess sat down in her throne once more. He bowed before her. "Your Majesty?"

"After giving your request much consideration, I have decided to give your people access to the Desert Realm. You may do with it what you wish. However, I must have full confidence that you pledge yourselves loyal to Hyrule, and to the Hylian Royal Family. Hm, Ganzorig?" She leaned forward slightly as she waited for his answer.

The Gerudo king smiled, his ruby eyes sparkling. "Of course, Princess. We would give our lives for the country of Hyrule, should there ever be need of it."

Zelda swallowed hard as she stared into his gaze. "Very well then." She turned to her guards. "Show them to the Desert Realm. Ensure that they settle in completely before you leave them. Dismissed."

She watched the Gerudo leave, led by three of her guards. As the door closed behind him, she sighed. "Link…" She turned to gaze at him. "I can only hope I've done the right thing."

"Even if Ganondorf does return, he will be defeated." Link smiled slightly. "Everything will be fine."

Zelda nodded. "You're right. Once the Temple is finished and the Master Sword is locked away, there won't be anything for Ganondorf to collect. If he ever does return, he'll be put out before he has the chance to get to the castle." She stood tiredly. "Well… I believe it's lunchtime. Either way, I'm hungry. Come with me, Link."

He took her hand as she descended the few steps leading up to her throne. "Of course…Zelda."

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_"Do you see the man with the evil eyes?" Princess Zelda, aged ten, pointed in the window from her private garden. "I believe he means to control Hyrule!"_

_ At that moment the man turned toward them. She gasped and ducked down, dragging Link with her. They peeked over the edge to ensure the coast was clear before standing again. The princess looked at the Kokiri boy. "Link, please… You must help me. I need the other Spiritual Stones. The fate of Hyrule could depend on it!"_

_ Link averted his gaze. He didn't really want to risk his life. However, he knew that if the Princess of Hyrule was asking him to fetch mystical gems, then the situation was truly dire. He looked up slowly and nodded._

_ She clasped her hands and grinned. "Oh, thank you! You…do believe me, don't you?"_

_ "Of course…Zelda."_

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**Well, this accidental chapter fanfic has finally come to a close! It's been a bit of a long time, but, I like how it turned out. **

**What are your thoughts? Leave a review if you feel so inclined!**

**-The Legend of Rune Factory**


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